Jungle survival show ranks third on weekly TV chart

SEOUL, Feb. 14 (Yonhap) -- A survival show in the wild far from civilization featuring celebrities jumped a whopping 30 spots to rank third on the weekly TV ratings chart, data showed Wednesday.

SBS' reality documentary "Law of the Jungle" recorded a score of 229.2 on the Content Power Index (CPI) for Jan. 29-Feb. 4.

In the episode aired Feb. 2, a dozen cast members led by "clan leader" Kim Byung-man left for Patagonia, located at the southern end of South America.

A sparsely populated region with vast mountains, deserts and extreme weather conditions, Patagonia turned out to be one of the most difficult places to survive since the series' 2011 premiere.

A photo of "Law of the Jungle" provided by SBS (Yonhap)

The challenge started even before the "Byung-man tribe" arrived in Patagonia. They had to sit for hours at an airport due to a delayed flight. When they finally reached their destination, they were hit by a cold snap and hunger, casting a cloud on their future in the wildness.

Although the episode was broadcast 30 minutes later than originally scheduled due to the opening of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, it topped the viewership ratings among the programs aired in the same time slot, with 10.9 percent, according to Nielsen Korea.

Meanwhile, MBC's weekend variety show "Infinite Challenge" continued its winning streak by topping the chart with a score of 269.3.

The index, created by CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, measures the level of popularity and influence on consumer behavior of all entertainment TV programs aired on major terrestrial networks and cable channels during prime time.